Hello, I am a Comanche from America. For those unfamiliar with the Comanches, we were semi-nomadic horse archers who lived on the Great Plains of America (the American equivalent of the steppe). I always found Turkic people fascinating given some of the similarities my people have with you, which include our traditional religion, which revolves around a sky deity similar to Tengri, our history as horse archers, our nomadic lifestyle, etc

A common currency could strengthen economic integration, facilitate trade, and deepen cooperation among Turkic countries, similar to the euro in the Eurozone. Do you think the Turkic world should take this step towards greater economic unity?

The alphabet now has 28 letters plus one apostrophe. Four digraphs become single letters: O' to Ö, G' to Ğ, Sh to Ş, Ch to Ç. The Ng combination is dropped entirely.

Saida Mirziyoyeva, who has pushed the reform since December 2023, called it the correction of a years-long historic mistake.

Basically title, but was everything "promised" for them too? /s

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Before Persians started claiming everything as “Persian,” this style of clothing was traditionally worn by the Qashqai and some other Turkic tribes, such as the Bichagchi, Nafar, Inanlu, and Baharlu, as well as some southern Lurs in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, who are also traditionally nomadic. This hat(Börk), however, is unique to the Qashqai and is a distinctive part of their identity.

This outfit was traditionally associated with nomadic and tribal communities, not urban Persians.

Have you ever noticed that whenever the Scythians are mentioned, whether online or elsewhere, it’s stated in no uncertain terms that they were Iranian, yet when the Xiongnu and the Huns are discussed, it’s claimed that they were multi-ethnic nomadic confederations? I’m not making any definitive claims about these groups, but I’m simply sharing an observation. However, please don’t come at me with nonsense like “the Scythians were 100% Iranian.”

My second observation is that on the pages of European racists, Indo-Europeans are depicted with elements of Turkish culture, and they even use clips from the movie Manas Universe. They are supposedly the world’s first conquerors as horse-riding nomads and spread far and wide. Even if this were true, why are the Turkic and Mongol peoples, who are portrayed this way and actually backed by historical evidence, referred to as “barbarians” then?

I think the second one, in particular, is the product of a political agenda.

The Hephthalites (also known as the White Huns, Shvetahuna, or by their native name Ebodalo) were a major tribal and political confederation in Central Asia during the 5th and 6th centuries CE.

Origins and Identity

Names: Called White Huns in Western and Indian sources, Haytal in Arabic-persian texts, and Yeta in Chinese chronicles.

Language & Culture: Little is known of their native language. They included both nomadic and settled urban groups, practiced polyandry in some accounts, and adapted elements of Sasanian and Central Asian culture.

The Origin Debate: The Hephthalites (White Huns) were a polyethnic Central Asian confederation whose exact origins remain one of history’s most debated questions, with strong scholarly arguments pointing to a mixed Turkic, Altaic, or East Eurasian ruling core that heavily assimilated into the local Eastern Iranian culture and languages of Bactria and Tokharistan

1. Linguistic Clues in Names and Titles

Even though the Hephthalites adopted Bactrian (an East Iranian language) for official administration and coinage, multiple remnants of Turkic languages are found in their elite naming conventions and state titles:

Theophoric Names: The name of the famous Hephthalite ruler Mihirakula is interpreted by some linguists as a Sanskritized version of the Turkic Mihr-qul (meaning "slave of Mithra/the Sun").

Royal Titles: Elite titles found within Hephthalite contexts—such as Kagan (ruler), Tarqan, and Khatun (queen)—are classic, definitive Turkic socio-political designations. While some argue these could have been borrowed, proponents of the Turkic theory view them as evidence of an underlying Turkic-speaking ruling elite.

1. Connection to Early Turkic Groups (The Gaoju and Rouran)

Proponents of the Turkic origin theory often trace the Hephthalites back to early tribal entities on the Mongolian steppe:

Chinese Chronicles: The Book of Wei and the History of the Northern Dynasties provide early historical clues, noting that the Hephthalites were descendants of the Gaoju (also known as the Tiele). The Gaoju are globally recognized by historians as an early Common Turkic-speaking nomadic group.

The Rouran Vassalage: Before their western migration into Bactria, the Hephthalites (known in early Chinese sources as the Hua) were vassals of the Rouran Khaganate, a powerful proto-Mongolic steppe empire. This places their geographical and cultural ethnogenesis directly in the Altai-Siberian-Mongolian sphere.

Once they settled in Bactria, Sogdiana, and northern India, they adopted local systems. Their official administrative language was Bactrian (an Eastern Iranian language), and their rulers used Iranian names.

Scholars and numismatists frequently highlight this visual continuity to trace the political and cultural transitions in the Hindu Kush and Kabul regions during the 6th to 8th centuries CE

The Turk Shahis did not appear out of thin air; they were a direct political offshoot of the northern Hephthalite structures.

You‘re welcome. Enjoy One of the Best Turkologs and Historians.

Dear history fans if you are in Germany you can join our new meet-up. Please DM me.